CONCEPT OF KAVI

 

                                             CONCEPT OF KAVI

Introduction

The word kavi in its two possible derivations means

1.      One who describes an object, and

2.      One who talks about/uses words about a subject

In Amarkosa , for vidvan, kavi is a synonym along with pandita, one who knows sastras, has discriminating intellect, and manisi,a thoughtful, meditative person. So kavi is a learned man who describes some subject/object. Under this definition, the ultimate reality, parmatma, is also designated as kavi. Also Brahma, the source of Vedas, is described as Adikavi. Next , Valmiki, the composer of Ramayana, in the language of the people is also called adikavi. Thereafter the learned composer of Mahabharata and Puranas is described as a kavi. The title is then extended to all those who describe something, so that even Sukracarya, the composer of a text on polity (nitisara) is called kavi.

The next phase saw the word kavi being given a closer definition: it is no longer sufficient to produce a description. The description must have some special attribute or quality (camatkara) that evokes in the audience some pleasure or delight and has a marked effect. The literary description or language must have some ‘markedness’. With this constraints now, the composers of social metrical texts- such as Manu – are not called kavi any more.

ABILITIES OF A KAVI

Certain abilities are attributed to a kavi. He has a special inwardness with words and is able to give extraordinary descriptions of objects, people and themes.- lokottar varnana nipunata  is how Rasgangadhara  describes him.  He is also learned in grammar and logic. (Bhamaha, Kavyalamkar) and has a discriminating intellect. To this Abhinavgupta added the quality of special perception or insight. By virtues of these abilities, a kavi shapes a new form (racana)- so, Brahma, the creator is also described as a kavi, because Brahma also also reshapes the primordial matter into a form recognizable as this universe. Anandvardhan adds the dimension of individual will  - he says the poet creates a ‘world’ as it pleases him and in his hands the animate becomes inanimate and the inanimate becomes animate, a ruin is transformed into a palace and a palace is transformed into a ruin.

Almost every theorist underlines the kavi’s need of learning, his knowledge of sastras.  Rajasekhar has said,

“Kavya and sastra have a relationship of mutual instrumentality – kavya serves the end of sastra and sastra serves kavya. The compositions of a kavi who is learned in sastras are thoughtful, lucid and excellent.”

But knowledge of sastra alone is not enough. Poetry is an intelligent activity no doubt, but it is more than that-

“Poetry, however,[belongs]  to him [kavi] who has a natural capacity and that too not invariably.” (Kavyalamkar)

NATURAL CAPACITY

What is this natural capacity in a kavi? In other words, what are the sources of creativity? Learning or knowledge, i.e. Vyutpatti, is one factor. It is asserted that wide and varied knowledge is necessary for a kavi because in his compositions ‘he has to describe any number of subjects.”. Two other factors have been suggested – pratibha (innate ability) and abhyasa (practice). And the fourth factor that has been mentioned in the tradition is Samadhi, heightened consciousness obtained through deep mental concentration.

Theorists differ about which factor is primary or indispensable- pratibha or vyutpatti-  and about the role these factors have in the process of composition. Three positions are taken:

Pratibha, alone is the source of composition

Vyutpatti and Abhyasa alone can be the source of poetry

Pratibha, Vyutpatti and  abhyasa all the three are the sources of composition.

Pratibha is an innate faculty- a predisposition. All activity of living being is preceded by this pratibha – it is the faculty that changes the male cuckoo’s voice in spring and makes it possible for birds to build nests. This faculty may be a sanskara from previous births.

Vamana and Pt. Jagannatha believe that pratibha alone is the source of compositions. Vamana says that in pratibha lies the very seed of poetry. Pt. Jagannath says only pratibha is the cause of poetry, and consists in the prompt recall of appropriate words and meanings for building up a composition. Also pratibha is a kind of buddhi, intellect, that keeps getting new insights and ideas. Once you believe that pratibha alone is the source of poetry, you are arguing that poets/ composers are born- not trained.

On the other hand Dandin seems to allow that some kind of poetry may be the product of  vyutpatti  and abhyasa , though for excellent poetry, pratibha is indispensable.

The most widely agreed position is that all the three factors – pratibha, vyutpatti and abhyasa –together constitute the source of poetry.

“poetic genius, knowledge born of a study of the world, of sciences and of poems, and the practice of the teachings of those versed in writing poetry- these three together constitute the source of poetry. (Mammata, Kavya Prakasa).”

Rudrata uses the term sakti for the faculty responsible for literary creation. His definition of sakti is that through which several kinds of meanings and appropriate, lucid sequences of words become perceptible. Now this seems to have influenced Pt. Jagannatha’s statement of the function of pratibha.

Rajasekhar, on the other hand, has a very complex theory of sources of creativity. He posits sakti as yet another entity, apart from pratibha, vyutpatti, Samadhi,  and  abhyasa. His conception is something like this. In literary creation Samadhi is the supreme instrument. Samadhi  is intense concentration of the mind.

Rajasekhar harmonises these views- Samadhi is internal/ mental effort, while abhyasa is external/ physical effort. Together they generate sakti, the power of literary creation. This sakti  in turn triggers pratibha  and vyutpatti.

KINDS OF POETS

Rajasekhar goes on to describe three kinds of poets:

1.      Sastra kavi

2.      Kavya kavi

3.      Ubhaya Kavi

Sastra Kavi: sastra kavi  is one who excels in seriousness of thought. The Sastra kavi are of three kinds:

1.      One who creates new sastra in verse . The vedic seers of the Upanishadas, for example, or Adi Sankara in Vivekcudamani.

2.      One who incorporates literary elements, kavya into a sastra. Bhartrhari in Vakyapadiya for example.

3.      One who incorporates sastric ideas in his compositions. Kalidasa, for example, in his  raghuvamsa.

Kavya Kavi:  the Kavya kavis, according to Rajasekhara may be classified into eight kinds on the basis of poetical qualities.

Racana Kavi: one who excels in choice and arrangement of words and whose thoughts do not merit any serious attention .

Sabda kavi: One in whose work there is a high frequency of some one part of speech or the other. For example, nama kavi is a poet whose language has a high density of nouns. Similarly, akhyata kavi is a poet with a high density of verbs.

Artha kavi: One who excels in fanciful conceptions/ideas.

Alamkar kavi: one who excels in the employment of various figurative devices.

Ukti kavi: a poet who excels in telling expressions worthy of being quoted.

Rasa Kavi: a poet who excels in evoking different states of mind. (rasa)

Marga Kavi: a poet who excels in one of the three modes of expressions (gauidiya or pancali or vaidarbhi)

Sastrartha kavi: one who employs technical categories of philosophy in his compositions.

It is argued that these could as well be construed as properties (guna) of literary compositions- excellences. A poet is to be judged by the number of these qualities present in his compositions. The work of a great poet has all these merits.

STATES OF A POET

From a different point of view, that of attitude to or facility in composition, we  have another typology of poets. Rajasekhar calls them ‘states’ of a poet – a poet may evolve through them or may belong to one of the types. These are easily recognizable in the living Indian situation today and are:

1.      One who goes to an institution to learn the craft of composition

2.      One who keeps one’s compositions to oneself out of fear of faulty composition.

3.      One who presents one’s own composition as that of another out of fear of adverse criticism.

4.      One who makes one of the ancient poets as one’s ideal and composes on the pattern of one’s master.

5.      One who composes short pieces on diverse themes and does not have a central theme to one’s work.

6.      One who composes nibandh kavya, a major structured work, he is mahakavi.

7.      One who has the ability to compose different kinds of works, short lyrics/ stories and epic/ long narratives, with different rasas and in different languages – he is kaviraj.

These seven are the states of poets who are learned and well versed in the sastras and kavyas. Rajasekhar mentions three other states of those who train themselves in the craft of poetry with the help of aesthetic mantras and practices.

CONCLUSION

Through constant practice, poets mature in their art – one index of maturity of a poet is the confidence with which he uses language and the certainty with which he uses words requiring little or no subsequent emendations. Rajasekhar  has said in Kavyamimamsa ,

  “Scholars of sabdasastra (science of language)consider maturity of language as that condition in which a word once used does not allow any change.”